Deville angler reels in 10.43-pound largemouth bass on Toledo Bend

Despite a rough morning last Friday, Wallace Woodson finished the day off in style with the bass of his life at Toledo Bend.

The 50-year-old angler and his fishing partner, Wolfie Watts of Effie, had launched from Big Bass Marina to pre-fish a tournament that Saturday.

Trolling motor problems forced the men back to a nearby marina for a morning spent dealing with repairs.

“But he had me fixed up pretty quick,” Woodson said. “We got back out on the water at about 12:00 p.m.”

The anglers targeted deep points in the Lowe’s Creek area, casting spinnerbaits and Yum Yumbrella Flash Mobs. Woodson was using 65-pound Power Pro braid spooled on an Abu Garcia Revo with a heavy 7-foot CastAway rod.

“We fished 2 ½ hours and caught a bass at 4 pounds and one at two,” he said. “I was trying to stay fishing in 10- to 12-feet of water where we found these fish.”

Temperatures were dropping and rain started to fall as a front passed, and Woodson moved to another spot nearby to fish more points at those same depths.

“It was about 2:30, and I threw the Flash Mob on a point and started retrieving it slowly,” he said. “I remembered thinking I was hung up on a stump.

“The fish then slowly swam off and I could tell it was a good one.”

Woodson said the big bass started taking drag and moved toward the back end of the boat.

“My partner saw her and got really excited,” he said.

He knew the bass was hooked well, and with no net on board, Woodson let the bass tire out. When she got close enough, Watts lipped her aboard.

“I had a very good feeling that she was a 10-plus pounder,” he said. “So we quickly placed her in the livewell and trailered the boat to drive to Toledo Town and Tackle to weigh her and get the fish certified.”

Sure enough, the scale read 10.43 pounds and the big bass was eligible for entry into the Toledo Bend Lunker Bass Program, which awards any angler who catches a 10-plus pounder and agrees to tag and release it, a free replica courtesy of the Toledo Bend Lake Association.

“This is my largest personal bass as well,” Woodson said. “Prior to this bass, I had taken heavy 8-pounders, but never anything to break 9.”